Vessels: Rigdon Christens M/V Bourbon

Larry Rigdon, President and CEO of Rigdon Marine, said that the second vessel in its 10 vessel contract has been delivered by Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Inc. of Mobile, Alabama. The M/V Bourbon was issued a United States Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation (COD) for coastwise trade in the United States and is fully classed by the American Bureau of Shipping for international operations.

The M/V Bourbon was immediately deployed to a major oil company for work in the Gulf of Mexico after its christening by Mrs. Maxine Rigdon, mother of Larry Rigdon. The M/V Bourbon like its sister vessel, the M/V Orleans, is a 210 x 54 x 19-ft. diesel-electric PSV with a dynamic positioning class 2 (DP-2) certification and a modern, streamlined hull designed for fuel efficiency with top speeds of 13 knots fully loaded and 15 knots in light conditions. "Yesterday's logic for offshore vessel design has been turned on its head," said Larry Rigdon. "Today, operations are often long distances offshore and far from dockside support facilities. The design improvements incorporated in the GPA 640 PSVs include increased payloads and speed with reduced fuel consumption. These improvements ultimately equate to reduced costs for our customers." The Guido Perla and Associates designed (GPA 640) vessels are equipped with two stern-mounted Steerprop SP 20 azimuthing Z-drive units that are driven by two Alconza 2,100-hp variable-frequency AC electric motors, which provide the main propulsion. A further enhancement to the diesel electric drives are the technologically advanced dynamic positioning system and vessel management system from Alstom Power Conversion that provides the total system redundancy required for the DP-2 certification. Consequently, if a vessel system fails, it can be by-passed without loss of control during cargo operations or while maintaining position at an offshore facility. The cargo capacity of these vessels has also been increased due to the space saving diesel electric engine room which hosts two 1,825kW (2,500 hp) generators driven by Cummins QSK 60 engines and a third 910kW (1,200 hp) generator driven by a Cummins KTA 38 engine. Furthermore, the fuel burn of this system has been rated at 230 gph at 13 knots when fully loaded, and only 88 gph at 10 knots. The diesel electric system provides a significant fuel savings often exceeding 10 percent verses conventional direct-drive, diesel propelled vessels. The GPA 640 vessels carry 7,133 cu. ft. of bulk material and 5,150 barrels of liquid mud in self-cleaning oval tanks. The vessels' two Mission Magnum pumps deliver mud to a height of 196 feet above water. The two 80-PSI air compressors can also deliver 50 metric tons of dry cement or barite per hour to the same height.